On October 18, 2016, the former Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan E. Mendez will be addressing the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. During his final appearance before the General Assembly as Special Rapporteur, Mr. Mendez will present his latest thematic report on the need for the development of a universal protocol for investigative interviewing and attendant safeguards that is grounded in absolute legal prohibition of torture and ill-treatment. The session will be livestreamed. For more information on this presentation and side-events to be held in New York City with the Special Rapporteur from October 17 to 19, please click on the adjacent image.

During the week of March 7 - 11, 2016, Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan E. Méndez participated in the 31st Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. During the Session, the Special Rapporteur presented his latest thematic report on gender perspectives on torture and engaged in an interactive dialogue on his recent activities and other topics related to his mandate, including recent country visits to Brazil, Georgia, Ghana, and Mauritania. The Special Rapporteur held a press conference and participated in thematic side-events alongside UN colleagues, State delegates, and civil society partners in Geneva. The side-events explored the topics of children deprived of liberty, gender perspectives and torture, and Guantanamo Bay, among other topics. To learn more about and follow the Special Rapporteur’s week at the HRC, please visit this page. To learn more about the activities and access relevant documentation and links, please click on the adjacent image.

Welcome to the Anti-Torture Initiative (ATI), a project of the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law at American University Washington College of Law! We work to expand the strategies of UN Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment Juan E. Mendez (SRT) in furtherance of his mandate. Please have a look at our website to learn more about how we help support, monitor, and assess implementation of the SRT’s recommendations, and provide a multi-dynamic model for effective thematic and country-specific follow-up. Please click on the adjacent image to read our latest news!

Between Monday, October 19 and Wednesday, October 21, 2015, Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan E. Méndez will attend the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During the session, the Special Rapporteur will present his latest thematic report on the extraterritorial application of the prohibition of torture and attendant obligations in international law and engage in an interactive dialogue on his recent activities related to his mandate, such as country visits. He will also hold a press conference together and participate and thematic side-events alongside UN colleagues, State delegates, and civil society partners in New York City. To learn more about the Special Rapporteur's upcoming week at the General Assembly and to access links to live webcasts of the events, please click on the adjacent image.

Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan E. Mendez is undertaking a country visit to Brazil at the invitation of the Government from August 3 to 14, 2015, to identify and assess the main challenges related to torture and other ill-treatment in the country. During the 12 day visit, the Special Rapporteur will conduct unannounced visits to places of detention such as police stations, pre-trial facilities, and penitentiaries in the federal district and the states of Sao Paulo, Sergipe, Maranhao, and Alagoas. “I look forward to engaging with the Brazilian Government on how the meet the challenges of upholding the rule of law, promoting accountability, and fulfilling the right of reparations for victims,” the Special Rapporteur has stated. He will meet with relevant authorities and human rights institutions at the federal and state levels, as well as with international and regional civil society organizations, victims and their families. The Special Rapporteur will share his preliminary comments and recommendations at an August 14 press conference in Brasilia. The Special Rapporteur will present a final report to the Human Rights Council in March 2016. To learn more about the visit, please click on the adjacent image.

On Wednesday, 17 June 2015, The Anti-Torture Initiative, in collaboration with six global partners, launched the second edition of the#TortureFreeWorld Campaign, featuring a new #TortureFreeWorld website. The #TortureFreeWorld website and campaign will be a platform for survivors, anti-torture advocates, and human rights experts and practitioners from around the world to share stories, experiences, and work together for a #TortureFreeWorld. “A #TortureFreeWorld is not just something we imagine, it is something we work towards every day. As a survivor of torture I know how important it is to work in solidarity, support survivors and change laws and policies to truly realize a #TortureFreeWorld,” United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan E. Méndez said at the launch of the campaign. To learn more about the campaign and about our upcoming June 26 Webinar marking International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, please click on the adjacent image.

The International Commission of Jurists released a new report entitled Transnational Injustices, which describes repeated, ongoing human rights violations in renditions, expulsions, and extradition processes in the Russian Federation, Central Asia, and the US. The report offers concrete, practical recommendations for improving the situation and providing justice and remedies for victims of these practices. To read… Continue Reading

March 27, 2017 – Today, the Anti-Torture Initiative and the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights called for the immediate release of lawyer and human rights defender Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla and of university lecturer Dr. Fontem Aforteka’a Neba from military detention in #Cameroon. Mr. Nkongho and Dr. Fontem were arrested for organizing peaceful protests calling for… Continue Reading

March 24, 2017 – We are delighted to announce the publication of our NEW edited volume “Protecting Children against Torture in Detention: Global Solutions for A Global Problem!” This edited volume brings together contributions by more than 30 international children’s rights experts in response to former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Juan Ernesto Mendez’s groundbreaking thematic… Continue Reading